A New Season

Oh man - SO MANY things of which to be joyful for right now...

First of all - WELCOME SUMMERTIME!! Is anyone else as happy as I am about this new, glorious season?? I love the smells and sounds of summer - I encourage you all to walk outside tonight - listen to crickets and watch fireflies light up your yard - take it in - drink it up - enjoy! Bring it on heat - I love nothing more than playing at the lake, attending Braves games and enjoying the outdoors during this glorious time of year!

So much has happened over the past couple of weeks...


When I graduated from college, my best friends and I made a pact that we would get together every year and go on a trip somewhere. Over the past 3 years, we have held each other to it going to North Carolina, Florida and this year we went back to where it all happened - Clemson, SC! It was the perfect weekend - we played at the lake, ate at all of our favorite places (and by that I mean ate at Pot Belly Deli), sipped on cocktails and laughed a lot. It was perfect.


For those of you who don't know me - I love being spontaneous - keeps life fun and interesting! So last weekend I put my spontaneity to good use and decided (on Thursday) that I would drive up to Asheville, NC (one of my favorite places in the whole world) with my mom (on Friday) to help my sister get settled in as a counselor at Camp Greystone this summer. I was out of Atlanta for less than 24 hours - flying back Saturday morning - but it was such a treat to roadtrip with two of my very people in the whole world!

Qued up my CD for the summer - check! Yes - I still listen to CD's. There is something about making a CD that just makes me smile. Going through the archive that I have acquired over the past (give or take) 14 years of my life is so great! I can instantly go back to my sophomore year of high school with my, "My First Car" mix, and I would be lying to you if I said I didn't love it! Always random - always delightful.

Summermix 2K10 includes:

1. Party in the USA - Miley Cyrus
2. Find my Way - Gabe Dixon Band
3. Mexico - James Taylor
4. Copperline - James Taylor
5. Carolina - Corey Smith
6. Waving Flag - K'naan
7. Mayberry - Rascal Flatts
8. Old Blue Chair - Kenny Chesney
9. Summertime - Kenny Chesney
10. One Love - Bob Marley
11. Uprising - Muse
12. Wagon Wheel - Old Crow
13. Tell it to me - Old Crow
14. Ain't too Proud to Beg - The Temptations
15. The Best of What's Around - DMB
16. Only the Good Die Young - Bill Joel
17. Sloop John B - The Beachboys
18. Don't Stop Til' You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
19. Domino - Van Morrison
20. Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
21. Africa - Toto
22. Be Young. Be Foolish. Be Happy - The Tams


Last but not least - two of my very best friends got engaged this weekend! I set them up over a year ago and they fell in love!! So excited for them and so blessed to have both of them in my life! Celebrated with them at a cookout at our house on Saturday which was so much fun! Let the Turner/Cotter wedding festivities begin!! YAY!! :)

Happy Summer everyone!
Boe

Am Jewels

So one of my favorite people at work and a wonderful friend happens to have a pretty incredible talent - she makes BEAUTIFUL jewelry! Her name is Alicia and after undergoing some pretty intense back surgery last year - she decided, while on bed rest, that instead of being bored she would take on a hobby - and boy did she ever!! Her collections are incredible - everything from everyday, to formal wear and wedding adornments - her delicate, handcrafted pieces are definite treasures for sure!

Check out her site - you won't regret it!

Boe

This weekend...

Boe

The Legacy Continues...

MY LITTLE COUSIN IS JOINING THE CLEMSON FAMILY!!

Go Tigers!
Boe

The Joy in "Square 1"

"Square 1 is better than square miserable!"

One of my very favorite people on this earth said this to me today and I loved it so much that I had to post it for each one of you!! It says it all - when we enter into new seasons of life - whether it is a move, new job, the ending or beginning of a relationship - sometimes people can get bogged down and overwhelmed with a defeated attitude saying, "gosh - I have to start all over again!?!" But my friend who uttered the fantastic phrase above put a whole new spin on that season of life - a joyful perspective that so many neglect at the commencement of a major life change.

Thanks to my precious friend for reminding me of the sweet excitement and happiness found in "square 1".

Choosing joy!

Boe

Well hello again....

Holy, I'm the worst blogger, Batman!! To all of you, I apologize for my departure from the blogging world!! Sooooo much has happened - God is SO good!!

Welp, I ran in my first 1/2 marathon on April 24th - and I am hooked! It was such an incredible weekend! Two of my favorite people met me and my roommate in Atlanta and we all headed up to Nashville for a weekend of friends and fun!! Let's talk about how AWESOME my roommate is - she ran the WHOLE 1/2 with me - having only run 6 miles in preparation for the race - what I'm trying to say is - SHE'S a baller and it was so special to share the experience with her! We finished the race and just gave Him the glory!! How awesome is it that He gave us the strength and endurance to do something that we NEVER dreamt we could do!! I am definately signing up for another one - who's with me?



The weeks following the race have been amazing...

When I was 13 I started a "bucket list" of sorts for concerts that I have to see before I die. Founding such a list as a teeny bopper, my "must sees" have drastically changed over the years - from Nsync to Coldplay - my taste in music has definitly transformed over the past 12 years. Well, last Friday - I got to mark another artist off the list, Van Morrision. Being my dad's only daughter with brown eyes, "our song" has always been "Brown Eyed Girl" so needless to say, Van has had and will always have a very special place in my heart. Getting to hear him sing it live was an experience I will never forget - I loved every minute of it!

The weekend only got better when one of my friends from Clemson surprised me and flew into ATL from PA for Camp Dance! It was such a WONDERFUL surprise and thanks to him we started and shut down the party on Saturday night! It was awesome and a treat to see such a wonderful friend!
Gosh - it is so great to write down all of the wonderful things that have happened over the past few weeks! It is easy to choose joy when I see how richly HE has blessed my life!

Again, I'll say it, God is good, and for that I will eternally give Him thanks!

Boe

Sweet Family

Sorry it has been so long since I last blogged! Life has been hectic but GREAT!!

Went home last weekend for Easter and it was such a treat!! Being with my family just fills me up with so much JOY!! They are the best and it was such a blessing to get to spend the weekend with each of them!! :)

Again - we have some funny Easter traditions as well with the Farrell/Boedecker/Devitt clan. Since before I can even remember, we have all partaken in the breaking of cascarones. I have no idea how my family started this tradition (I should probably find that out) but it is something that I look forward to every year. Throughout the year, my grandmother carefully cleans out and saves every egg shell that she uses (she's amazing). She then fills each of them with colorful confetti (one lucky egg is filled with gold confetti - the person that gets it has extra good luck for a year) and places colorful tissue on the top. Year after year, we do the same thing - each of us take as many eggs as we can carry and then break them over eachothers heads. It sounds silly - but it is really fun - and it is said to bring luck and good fortune to everyone who has one break on their head! :)


From the beautiful Easter Sunday Service to cascarones...
Easter dinner...to a rousing family-wide game of Apples to Apples
This Easter proved to be absolutely perfect!

It is through these wonderful seasons of my life and loving moments with my sweet family that I am especially reminded of the greatest gift given to each of us - eternal life with our Father in heaven!! I am so blessed.

Boe